Finite
by JinMukang
Summary: INFINITY WARS SPOILERS! Years passed, and the war has finally ended. Now it's time to bring back passed comrades. "What happened to never meddling with time, old friend?"


**INFINITY WARS SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!**

 **Okay, so I have been going through the most recently updated/uploaded Avenger fanfictions, and most of them are just different versions of the same scene (you know the one). So, I wanted something happy. I wrote this. I put some of my own headcanons into this, mostly on what Peter's spider sense could do.**

 **NOTE: I recommend that when you see a bolded "-o-o-o-o-", you play "You are the Reason" by Calum Scott.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers.**

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Finite

-Jin

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It was a long, hard war. Newspapers and history books would call it the Infinity War, because for half the universe, that was how long it felt to them. The other half? Well, they were dead. There's not really a way to tell if all the lives lost could comprehend time, especially time that multiplied by grief and pain.

The Avengers did their best to make the war as short as possible, but at every turn Thanos or his army had the best of them. No matter what they did, Thanos always evaded them. He never killed them. Said that they were saved and the loss of their lives would be pointless. He then would teleport away and become practically untraceable.

Years passed. Enough Years for Tony Stark to gain a few grey hairs, though everyone knew not all of those silver hairs that poked out of his skull or salted in his facial hair were from age. Most of them, Steve Rogers would suspect, was from the loss of of a person dear to him. He would understand, he had his own grey hairs to show as well, from the loss of Bucky.

He never compared his loss of Bucky to Tony's loss of Peter. He could never bring himself to. He saw how Tony considered Peter a son. Bucky was his best friend, sure, but sometimes he wondered if he would ever consider someone as precious to him as Tony did the young teenager. Not like Bucky's death didn't hurt of course. It did. It stung. So badly. But unlike Stark, he hadn't given up hope of ever seeing Bucky, or Peter, again. Tony was like a robot, only fighting Thanos because it was the only thing he could do. He didn't believe Peter could ever come back.

Well, time passed. Time that ticked on and on so lazily that people would forget what life used to be like. Buildings were being restored and people were interacting, doing anything to forget the amount of the dead that belonged to their families or friend groups. Tried to forget the amount of bodiless graves there would be if they actually had room to make that many graves.

Then, after eight years of the world—whole galaxy really—prospering just as Thanos predicted, the remaining Avengers made one last grasp to avenge countless lives.

And they succeeded.

Thanos was dead.

The stones were laid out before the heroes on a mahogany table. They all suspected that they could use the stones to bring everyone back, so they went to the one person they thought could help them.

Wong.

He told them he could try, that he was no Doctor Strange but he certainly understood the stones as good as the man himself. He did have many years to study after all.

"I may be the current Sorcerer Supreme, but I'm afraid I do not possess the ability to undo all the damage," Wong said. He had lost weight, the result from many years of stress. He watched as all of the heroes' shoulders collapsed, grief filled their features. "Especially since we have no gauntlet to harness all the power."

Everyone looked towards Thor, who had said after they had previously addressed the mentioned issue. He said a Dwarf in Nidavellir may still have a functional gauntlet mold.

Wong continued to talk. "But, I can probably bring someone back who can help us."

Wong looked at each anxious Avenger in the eye before he used sorcery to place a small, green stone in a capsule similar to the one Doctor Strange used to carry it. Excited expression lit up most of the faces of the Avengers as they realized what Wong planned to do.

All except Tony, who was already suspecting where they would have to go to bring this person back. A place he had never wanted to visit again because it brought back too much pain he tried his best to forget.

They were to go to Titon.

-o-o-o-o-

Their spaceship landed without a hitch. Nothing went wrong which gave Tony Stark extreme amount of stress. He almost wanted something to go haywire. He almost found himself praying for Nebula to suddenly forget how to fly her ship, or for Rocket to decide to randomly make a bomb and explode everything. Almost wishing for a distraction to get his mind off from where they were going. But the ride was as smooth as butter. Even the engine of the ship did little to catch his eye as the alien tech would have once before.

It was Tony, Nebula, Rocket, Wong, Cap, and Natasha who stepped off the ship. Nebula trailed a bit behind, still unused to being around actual good guys, while Tony found himself falling back besides her. He, at first, kept his eyes turned downwards because he didn't want to see the half destroyed buildings or the sand blowing across the horizon, but as he looked down he swore he saw two impossibly calm doe-eyes looking up at him as ash blew in the wind.

He swallowed and looked at Cap's back. The black suit he wore was a nice contrast to the orange sand.

Tony could practically feel Wong's eyes turn towards him for a split second before they traveled to Nebula.

"Do you remember?" Wong asked.

Tony was thankful that Wong hadn't asked him to look for the spot Pe- Stephen Strange died at. Nebula nodded and cleared her throat like she was trying to clear the uncomfortable feelings that swirled in her stomach and constantly tried to escape her esophagus. She used to be stone hard and would always to avoid the Avengers. She told them she was only helping them because she wanted revenge against Thanos. But during the years, she became almost friends with everyone. Sure, she still had her spats, but sometimes one could find her enjoying a talk with Bruce or training with Nat with an almost grin on her face.

Tony watched Nebula confidently walk towards where the incident took place. Everyone followed. The trail lasted just a few minutes but to Tony, it seemed to last forever.

Once they reached their destination, he thought the journey didn't take long enough.

"Where was Strange?" Wong asked. Nebula's eyes went upwards, as if she were searching through the memory archives in her head. Finally, she pointed.

Wong nodded. Tony did his best to pay attention to what Wong was doing, but he found his mind and eyes drifting. Right there, by those rocks he sat there with his hands against his face until Nebula touched his shoulder gently. Right over there, Thano's stood with half lidded eyes, Mantis sat on his shoulders and practically dug her nails into his skull while everyone else did their best to get the gauntlet off (or tried to stop Star Lord from making the biggest mistake in history).

And right there… right there was where a fifteen year old boy with wide, terrified eyes and a sickly face stumbled over to Tony. Next to that was a small drift off sand where Tony set him down and watched as his pained expression and panicked breathing suddenly transformed into something calm. Something that was way to calm to be the expression of a dying teenager. He watched as his hands and arms started to turn into ash and fly with the wind. He watched as his shoulders crumbled beneath Tony's hands. Could only watch.

"I'm sorry…"

A hand on his shoulder shook out of his memories. He looked over to the owner of the hand and came face to face with a worried looking Natasha.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Tony shook his head no, and she didn't go any further into it.

Wong took a deep breath, catching Tony's attention.

"This will be dangerous," Wong said. "I must keep up my meditation and concentration or else there is a potential to create an infinite time loop or stop time completely."

All of the Avengers understood what Wong was saying. They were to stay quiet and out of the way.

Wong took another deep breath before he lifted his arms, made strange hand movements, and allowed the Time Stone to shine. Wong placed his hand out in front of him and turned it mid air like he was turning the very hands of time backwards. Tony watched with as the dust in front of Wong started to move strangely. Like it was going against the wind. He watched as time in that spot alone seemed to reverse. Years and years in the matter of minutes lasted with just strange movements of sand. Then, after a bit of time, something dark red, almost black, came floating backwards in the wind. Tony trained his eyes on each, individual piece of ash. He had to keep reminding himself that that wasn't Peter floating away. It was Strange coming back.

All the ash started to come together, linking together like each piece belonged to the most complicated 3D puzzle to ever be made. Dust swirled around and ash danced so close together. Soon enough, the ash formed a shape. That shape slowly morphed into something that looked like a man. Then detail was added. Fingers were formed and the head was sculpted to look slightly familiar.

Then, in a matter of moments, a man thought to be dead kneeled in the exact position he did eight years ago. Time seemed to stop for a second, and then it continued as normal.

Wong collapsed to his knees.

Before anyone could do anything, Stephen Strange jumped up from his position and grabbed Wong by his shoulders and gently lowered him to the ground. Strange took the Time Stone and put it in the capsule that was placed near his chest.

Tony had never seen Wong smile so big before. Everyone watched silently as Strange smiled back at his friend. "What happened to never meddling with time, old friend?"

-o-o-o-o-

"He will be fine, it takes much energy to use the stones," Strange said as everyone looked towards the exhausted Wong who was practically hanging off one of Nebula's ships seats.

Tony himself sat in one the seats and messed with a random piece of tech.

Suddenly, Strange stood up. "Well then, time to get to work."

Rocket, who was leaning against one of the ship's walls lifted an eyebrow. Or the area where the Racoons eyebrows would be. "Where are you going?" He grumbled.

Strange smiled and looked at Tony. Tony found himself reluctantly looking at Strange and meeting his stare. "There is still things to be done on this planet, and I would much rather get it all done with now so none of us ever have to come back here again."

Tony felt his heart… do something. He wasn't sure if it suddenly sped up or if it stopped completely. Cap laughed and clapped Tony on the shoulder.

 **-o-o-o-o-**

Just a few minutes past and everyone sans Wong and Natasha found themselves back in the dreaded clearing that had haunted Tony's dreams nightly for years.

Strange asked where. Tony pointed.

The ritual went both quicker and more smoothly that what it had before when Wong used the stone. Strange was so sure of where his hands were going and how they were moving. It was almost like time transformed. It was no longer a dial to turn forwards or backwards, but it was a liquid that moved through the air in currents. It was a living creature that moved in one direction unless someone powerful enough coaxed it to change its mind. While Wong worked the stone like it was a tool, a heavy hammer that was harder to use than Mjolnir; Strange used it like it was a friend. He knew exactly how to use it.

No dust, this time, moved in strange ways. Everything was still yet everybody knew something was happening. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, ash floated into view.

Tony realized that Strange wasn't turning time in an area like Wong had done, but he was reversing what happened to a certain item and nothing else.

Or in this case: four items.

Three shapes were formed standing up. Their fingers and legs and chest and the rest of them was put perfectly in place like someone was rewinding on a recording. Tony didn't pay attention to those three figures, he was too busy staring at a smaller figure that was formed laying on the ground.

 **-o-o-o-o-**

Peter was terrified. For the first time since he was bitten by that spider he finally understood what his "spider-sense" really was.

It was a warning. It was a blaring alarm that told him something was horribly, incredibly wrong. Something was sneaking up behind with an intent to harm or kill. It was a minutes notice that _hey! You should move out of the way or else some guy with a knife is gonna stab you!_

He took it for granted. He thought it would always help.

Now? Now it was scaring him.

Because his spider-sense wasn't telling him to fight or flight. Not to dodge left or kick right. It was just screaming in his ear that something was wrong. Something was coming.

It reminded him of that time it started to snow in the middle of his night time patrol. He was at least six miles away from his house, so it took a bit of time to get back home. That night, his spider-sense wouldn't calm down. It kept yelling at him that something was coming. Turnt out that that something was a common cold. The cool thing was, his spider-sense somehow convinced his brain to prepare his body for the cold, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

It was something exactly like that now. His whole body ached like every part was working to prepare for an unknown sickness. His muscles were cramping on their own, his head was aching, his stomach was rolling. His body was trying to fight a disease that he hadn't even caught yet.

He could feel sweat slip out from his skin and uncomfortably sit between him and the metal suit Mr Stark had given him. He grabbed his stomach and looked around. Then he saw something that almost sent him into a panic.

Star Lord was disintegrating. It was like Voldemort at the end of the Harry Potter movies. He was turning into ash and floating into the wind. He looked confused for a moment before he was completely gone.

Then everyone but Peter, Tony, and Nebula were gone.

It was the moment Doctor Strange was completely gone that he understood.

They lost.

Right then, something changed. His spider-sense changed from screaming he was in danger to crying that the danger had arrived. He couldn't feel the tips of his fingers. His stomach lurched and he couldn't help but grab at it.

"Mr Stark…" he said with his voiced laced with pain, "I don't feel so good…"

Mr Stark turned around and looked at Peter in sheer horror, which made Peter feel worse. He was sure Mr Stark said something, if the movement of his lips were anything to go by, but Peter couldn't hear them. All he knew was that his arms were flaking away and it was almost like he could feel every piece of ash peel from his skin. It felt like agony.

He stumbled forwards and almost fell into Mr Stark's arms. Normally, he would be embarrassed but right now everything inch of his skin felt like it was on fire, and the flakes detaching from him was literally ash as his skin turned to charcoal. He felt Mr Stark wrap him in a desperate embrace and Peter clutched to his head, his shoulders, his chest, everywhere he could get his hands so he could feel stabilized, so he could feel like he wasn't dying.

 _I don't want to go, I don't want to go, I don't want to go…_

He felt his legs give out from him. Mr Stark lowered him to the ground and Peter could only stare up at his face as the feeling in his hands completely disappeared.

Why was his so slow and painful when all the others almost looked surprised? Like they could hardly believe what was happening until the whites of their eyes were charing deep red and floating away in the wind with the rest of them? How come he could feel every cell break apart from him like a thousand needles were jamming onto him. How come his stomach twisted and his brain panicked? Why was it. So. Slow.

He looked up at Mr Stark. This was all Peter's fault. He was being punished. He was the one who stayed on the ship when Mr Stark told him to go home. He was the one who couldn't get the gauntlet off before Thanos returned control of himself. This was all his punishment for all of his mistakes. He didn't deserve the suit. Didn't deserve his friends. Didn't deserve to be an Avenger.

"I'm sorry…"

Then, everything went quiet. Nothing was screaming at him and his body no longer felt as if it were doused in flames. He blinked.

Mr Stark was gone…

He took a gasping breath, because he suddenly felt normal. Like nothing was ever wrong. For a moment, Peter thought everything had been a dream. He forced himself to a sitting position and looked around him. What he saw both surprised and confused him.

First, was that Star Lord, Drax, and Mantis were all okay. They were standing close together, looking as confused as Peter felt. They were also getting yelled at by a small raccoon thing.

He shifted his gaze and his eyes widened. Doctor Strange stood with a huge grin plastered on his face. A green stone was glowing faintly by his chest. Besides him was... Captain America!?

He barely had any time to ponder if he was delirious or in some weird afterworld because from out of nowhere, arms wrapped around Peter and practically lifted him to his feet. He squawked and tried to look at the face of his sudden attacker, but the man who embraced him so tightly (with strangely familiar arms) fell to his knees, forcing Peter to go down with him. The man buried his face in Peters hair, clutched him tightly, and wept.

Through every gasping heave of the man, Peter recognized the voice.

"Mr Stark?"

Mr Stark let out a strange gasp and clutched Peter closer. Peter found his head buried under Mr Starks chin. He felt something wet drop into his hair.

"Mr Stark what's happening?" Peter asked. "Are you crying? What's wrong?"

Mr Stark continued to clutch Peter, but he was no longer crying. He was laughing. Suddenly, Mr Stark's hands wrapped Peter's shoulders and pushed Peter slightly away so they could look at each other face to face.

"Look at you," Mr Stark said with the brightest smile Peter had ever seen worn on his face.

Peter stared at Mr Stark in confusion. He could have sworn just a minute ago he was dying, but here he was.

"Why… do you look older?" Peter blurted.

Mr Stark laughed and ruffled Peter's hair. He stood up and brushed off his pants. He helped Peter to his feet, and then placed a hand on Peter's shoulder. "It's over. We won."

Peter could only stare at him. Nothing made sense.

Peter looked past Mr Stark towards Captain America. He felt even more puzzled both by the man's appearance and his two thumbs that pointed upwards enthusiastically.

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-o-o-o-o-

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 **Thanks for reading :)**

 **Let me know if you'd like to see somewhat of a continuation of this, and also of you want to see Cap reacting to Bucky being resurrected, or Rocket to Groot, or Gamora, or whatever. This is a happy fic for all of our depressed thoughts that invaded our minds after we watched the movie. Let me know if you want more, and I will write more.**

 **Bye!**


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